


Reign of Queens

by sarah_bae_maas



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-09-24 22:52:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17109686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarah_bae_maas/pseuds/sarah_bae_maas
Summary: When Aelin fell through worlds, she never dreamt that she would make it to Erilea alive. Half of her dream became a reality, she was alive, but she certainly wasn’t in Erilea. With foes at every corner and a powerful family ready to cull her for invading the body of a loved one, she has no choice but to play the games of the Night Court until she can figure out how to return home, hopefully without dragging anyone with her.An AU! where Aelin fell into Prythian by mistake.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A new chaptered fic, yay! Hope everyone enjoys. This is also posted on my tumblr, sarah-bae-maas :)

As she fell, she saw the worlds around her like a flitter in the distance. But somehow, she was still in everyone, could taste the air, smell the briny sees and smoke, but she could never touch.

And then that male, the winged one with the pregnant wife had raised his hand and slowed her.

And when she fell, she did not fall into her world.

_____

 

Aelin gasped with a force to shatter the world. Her body felt like she’d been hit by a wyvern, and she felt the cool ground underneath her. She was lying down, or more like she’d smashed into the earth, and she slowly raised each limb to make sure they were still there and functioning. No pain, but the ache in her made her feel like she’d been regurgitated by a dragon.

She sat up, clutching her head.

And that’s when she noticed.

Her hand was callused but delicate, paler than she had ever seen it. She was wearing a dress made of a material so fine she needn’t question the wealth of the person wearing it. Her legs were long, waist thinner than it had ever been with narrow hips. Her legs went for days, and her breasts swelled beneath a corset. She grasped at a piece of her hair, crying out in shock at the golden brown.

She stood up quickly, taking in her surroundings. She was in a garden, the flowers surrounding her just beginning to bloom. The smell of them poisoned the air, so strong she felt like she was suffocating. She had been lying on a cobblestone path next to a bird bath, and in the distance she could see a manor interrupting the turn of the sun. Dusk was upon them. Mountains were in the distance, and the bright lights of a colourful city curved along the coastline.

Aelin tenderly walked to the bird bath, leaning over the water and using the fledging light to see herself.

She was beautiful, her cheeks angular and high and her nose straight. Her eyes were a burning grey, a colour Aelin was sure would be blue in the sun. Her ears were pointed – fae then, at least she was still a fae – and her body seemed unscarred and cared for.

Aelin was not in her body, and she highly doubted she was in Erilea at all.

The thought made her feel sick. What of Rowan? Was she still alive in Terrasen, or had her soul invaded this body and left her old one to rot? Her stomach fluttered, what in the rutting hell was she going to do. And what on earth had happened, had gone wrong, for her to smooth her hands down a body as unfamiliar as the land she was in?

She evaluated where she was again. Soon it would be night, and it would be cold. She needed warmer clothes than the ones she was wearing now. She could either go into that city and steal from the locals, or she could hedge a bet that the house she woke in front of belonged to the fae she had invaded.

She followed the path that led to the back door. The door opened – unlocked – and she was impressed with what she saw. Rich carpet laid out before her, the walls all painted in vivacious colours. The hallway in front of her was long, many rooms coming off each side with a grand staircase at the end. Aelin listened carefully, and there was no sign of anyone else in the house. Still, she would have to be careful and watch from the windows in case anyone approached. Unfortunately, if the portraits on the walls were anything to go by, this fae had a large family.  One Aelin would definitely need to avoid.

She opened all the doors, most of them guest rooms or rooms dedicated to some art form, so she went upstairs. It was much more open up here, a sprawling kitchen, dining and lounge room all combined into one massive space. She went through the next door she saw and grinned. This was clearly the master. She dove in, opening closets and pulling out clothes. She kicked off the slippers she was wearing and changed from the dress into pants and a blouse. At the bottom of the closet she saw boots. She pulled them on, impressed by their quality. Whoever this fae was, she had impeccable taste. She also had a stash of gold hidden in her draw, and Aelin happily plucked that up to and shoved it into her pocket. With a sigh of relief, she could read the titles on the shelf in the room. She didn’t recognize them, but with names like _The Passion of Summer Nights_ , Aelin had no doubt they were to her taste. It was just a relief to know she could speak the damn language of wherever she was. That would make getting back to Rowan easier.

The windows were clear. No one was coming up the paths, and Aelin took that as a sign to get the hell out of this manor. She walked down the hallway, a smile on her face from her good fortune, but stopped when she heard a creak in the floor behind her.

“Nes? Where are you going?”

_Cassian_

Aelin froze, at the male voice behind her and the harsh woman’s voice that cleaved through her mind like a thought.

She heard his footsteps as he approached her and tensed as he placed his hands on her waist. How? No one came up the path, no one opened the doors downstairs. How could he have snuck up on her?

“Nesta, are you okay?” He had felt her tense and taken his hands away. “Is today a bad day?”

Not trusting her voice, she nodded, still not turning to look at him. This male clearly knew who she was, intimately from the way he had put his hands on her.

“Okay, not a problem.” She could feel his breath on her neck, and it made her sweat under the jacket she was wearing from nerves. She didn’t often find herself in a position like this. “Would you like your sisters? Emerie? If the house is too much today, we can go to Illyria.”

Aelin tried to keep her breathing steady. She glanced at the window in front of her and tried not to gasp at what she saw in its reflection.

A huge male, the height of Aedion with weapons strapped to every inch of his body. He had giant wings tucked in, bright red gems scattered over his body. At least the wings explained why she had not seen anyone walk the paths. He likely flew in. Flew! Aelin had never come across a humanoid creature that could do such a thing. His face was rough-hewn but beautiful, the smile gracing it illustrating his love for this woman as if he’d declared it aloud. His hands were clasped in front of him, his patience evident.

He caught her gaze in the window, his face softening. He walked, standing two feet in front of her. He leant forward and placed a kiss to her cheek, and Aelin felt her eyes well. Not because she was scared, but because it had been a long time since she’d seen a man at peace be so gentle. It reminded her of Rowan, of the love she needed to get back to. Her cheek burned where his lips had been, and she could feel the colour rising to her face.

“Was it the bath? I hired someone today to fix the shower, I promise you won’t have to use it again.” He took one of her hands in his. His were scarred like a warrior, not that anything about this male contradicted that fact. But again, like her Rowan, he held her like a flower about to wilt.

_Help me, Cassian!_

That voiced went through her again, and Aelin realised with a start that it was the woman who this body belonged to.

_Get this bitch away from me._

Aelin blinked in surprise at the words.

 _You’re surprised? You must be something worse than daft then. Why wouldn’t I want you out of me? Get the_ fuck _out. I don’t know what magic you used to do this, what spell you must have stolen from the Book of Breathings, but they’ll figure it out._

Oh, this whole situation just became infinitely worse. It was one thing to be here, but to be stuck in the body with another conscious soul… Aelin was in deep, deep shit. How was it that wherever she went she always found herself in the most construed circumstances.

 _I… there is a lot happening right now. I didn’t mean to come here, and I didn’t do this on purpose. I don’t want to be here either,_ she thought back to the person – Nesta? – if that was even how this worked.

There was no reply, and Cassian was still staring at her.

_I can feel the truth in your words._

Aelin sighed in relief, reckless in showing such emotion, especially since Cassian was still in front of her, waiting for her to speak. But she didn’t know what to say. Any words that came from her mouth may give her away or make him think something was wrong. She needed him gone. She glanced down, and noticed he wasn’t wearing shoes. She’d make good money betting that the men’s clothes in that closet belonged to the male in front of her – he was clearly comfortable here.

He noticed her studying his feet and wiggled his toes.

“There’s a lot of things you like Nesta Archeron but I didn’t think feet were on that list,” he teased. He raised his hands to caress her face. “Do you need me to distract you with some of those things?”

Her body reacted, but all it was was a reminder that this wasn’t Aelin. That the tingling she felt between her legs was nothing but a body’s natural reaction to someone it loved. Besides, Aelin knew what this was – she had played this game before. She had no doubt in her mind he was only saying these things to distract her. And being flirted with by someone so attractive? Well, it was distracting indeed.

_If you fuck him I will kill you._

_Och, I would never,_ Aelin snapped back.

_Another truth. Tell me then, why are you here?_

_Now, why would I do that?_

_Because you landed yourself in one of the very few people in this world that can help you leave it. I need an explanation, but we need time. Tell him to go to Rhys, ask him if he can get flowers from Feyre to brighten the house._

Deciding to trust this woman – what else could she have done – Aelin said, “Go to Rhys. I need flowers from Feyre. To, you know, brighten the house.”

Cassian’s expression turned unexpectedly grave. “As you wish, my love.”

He stalked away, his hands casually on the hilt of his sword. He went up through a trapdoor, and then she heard the booming of his wings as he took off.

“Okay, okay. Where can we go? What can we do?”

_We can’t do shit until you tell me what the hell is going on. Wow, you really are stupid. No wonder you found yourself in this position._

“Despite your foul mouth, you seem like the kind of person I would get along with. Or tear the throat out of. But my best friendships blossomed from hatred.”

_The clock is ticking and yet the only thing coming out of your mouth is vile._

“Your name is Nesta?”

_Yes._

“I am Aelin Ashryver Whitethron Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen.”

There was silence, and then a roaring laughter that rattled her head like she was a human maraca.

_I’ve heard some convoluted names in my time, but that, THAT, is the worst I’ve ever heard._

“That’s very rude of you.”

_Some say it is my finest trait. And I may not be an expert in geography, but there is no Terrasen anywhere near here. You truly are a long way from home._

Aelin sighed and went to leave the house before stopping herself. Cassian had been a walking armoury, and Aelin was in need of at least some knives. She combed through the house again, ignoring Nesta’s commentary as she did so. Finally, in a room that off-shot the stairs to the roof, she found a hall of weapons. She hid them in her shoes, under her jacket, anywhere she could without making the folk of this city suspicious. Her eyes widened with lust when she saw a beautiful Jian sword. She made grabby hands at it, she felt like a child at Yulemas, and picked it up reverently.

“I’m going to name this sword Your Majesty. Then, when people wrong me, I can be like ‘do you want to meet, Your Majesty?’ And then I can kill them with a sword and a pun.”

_That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard._

Aelin strapped the sword to herself. Satisfied with what she had, she left the house. She stalked in the direction of the city, trying to sort through the rapid-fire thoughts in her head about what to do next. How could she tell this Nesta her story, without starting from the beginning? To tell her how she got here, how she came to fall through hundreds of worlds until the kindness of a lovely man accidently led her to become trapped in this one.

And then she had to consider how to get out of here. One thing Nesta had sad stuck with her, the one thing that might be a solution to her problem. The Book of Breathings.

But first, a much needed explanation.

“Have you ever been in love, Nesta?”

Aelin found herself thanking the Gods out of habit. She thanked them that no one was around to hear her having a conversation with herself and thinking she was batshit crazy. It made her huff. There were no Gods now, not after what she had done.

_That male you saw, Cassian. He is my love._

“Are you happy?”

_More than I thought humanly possible._

“But you are not human.”

_Not anymore._

Her words struck Aelin, closer than she could have anticipated.

“I know what it means to lose your humanity. To be in a place so dark, so despairing, that you can’t even dream of the light let alone think you’ll ever see one at the end of a tunnel. I have a Cassian. His name is Rowan, and he is my husband, my King, my mate. And out there somewhere he is alone, and scared, waiting for me to come home and end a war.”

_Then you better speak, Queen Aelin._

“It’s a long story,” Aelin whispered.

_Good thing I have nowhere to be. From the beginning, invader._

 


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Aelin had finished, she was walking the streets of the city, taking in as much information about where she was as possible. Everywhere she went she heard music and chatter, and her stomach was heavy at being in a place so full of life and not dread. Not even her years in Rifthold had garnered such a sense of overarching peace, and she found it as strange as she did beautiful.

Nesta had been silent the whole time, and Aelin had only reverted into their thought-speech a half hour ago when people started to appear. She didn’t need to notify anyone that something was wrong by being the crazy-lady that combed the streets talking to herself.

Aelin found it interesting that she got looks from many of the faeries that she passed, but no one smiled or waved. Rather, some nodded their heads in respects or gave her a wide birth to walk. It made her wonder who exactly she had fallen into.

In fact, Nesta was still silent now, and Aelin found herself getting distracted by a bookstore. Maybe here she could find the book Nesta had been talking about. There were multiple fae browsing as she was, but she paid them no attention. She was running her hands over the fresh spines when Nesta finally spoke.

_When you speak aloud, I can’t tell truth from fiction. But inside my mind, I know you are being honest. I can feel the pain that you do, as if you went through that with me._

_That was information you could have used against me. If I thought you always knew when I was being honest, I would never lie_ , Aelin replied.

_I’m telling you that so you know that I regret my actions. You and I are very similar, Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius. I find myself wanting to help you, something I do not often do for people._

_What actions do you regret?_ Aelin queried. It’s not as though Nesta has had any control of her body since Aelin fell into it.

Nesta didn’t reply, and Aelin took that as a bad sign.

Aelin winded through the shelves taller than her, and her lips went thin when she noticed there were no longer other fae to be seen. She was truly set on alert when she realised that even the woman behind the counter was gone. Through the window, the streets were empty, and the music that had been playing only moments before had stopped.

“Oh, Nesta,” Aelin sighed. “I’m guessing asking Feyre for flowers was a code?”

Aelin rolled her eyes. She wasn’t too fazed, whoever was coming for her had no idea what she was capable of.

Aelin scouted the store quickly. Three exits, the front the back and a window through an attic. None good options, considering the place was very likely surrounded, and apparently the company Nesta kept included those that could fly. Aelin decided to go for the attic. They might be scouting the sky, but it would be to see her exit from the ground. And Aelin could fly too, in her own way.

Aelin also delved into the pit of magic she could feel in Nesta. She recoiled from it the moment she touched it. _What thein the rutting hell is that?_

_Something you’ve never seen._

Aelin told her to shut up.

She silently crept up the attic stairs and went to the window. She jimmied it open only a breath, first looking to see exactly what she was in for before she leapt out. There was a building next to her, twice the height of this one. It had a fire escape, and if Aelin could make it to the roof she might be able to jump from building to building until she was far enough away to blend into the crowds that were surely somewhere.

The jump to the stairs was an easy one, and she ran quietly up until she was hopping roofs like she used to as Celaena in Rifthold.

She had gotten nearly fifteen houses down until she heard it – distantly, the sound of wings. For the first time, Aelin was glad for her exposure to wyverns. Otherwise, she mightn’t recognize the sound. She stopped for a moment, crouching down and next to a chimney. She could go down to the street, or further to the beach where she could swim along the coastline until it was clear. She shook her head, the water was too cold, she would freeze to death, and the street too bright – it was if this city preferred the night, it was only getting brighter and livelier in the distance.

Behind her was a forest. It was dense enough to cover her from anything above, but she could also easily get lost. And without Rowan, she couldn’t disguise her scent.

Her heart tugged at just the thought of his name.

The forest it was, and Aelin prayed to no one that whoever was following her were dreadful trackers.

She was about to step off the roof when she something slammed behind her. She would have tripped and fallen the three storeys down if a strong hand hadn’t grabbed her and yanked her back.

“Why are you running?” a male hissed.

She glared at him. Just like all the men that seemed to worm their way into Aelin’s life, he was stunning. His face was elegant, the smooth panes of it neutral as he looked over her. His eyes were a rich hazel, the colour of melted milk chocolate you’d serve to guests in the thick of Terrasen’s winter. He was muscular, his body comparable to Rowan’s, and the skin of his hands rippled. They were scarred, heavily so, and Aelin knew the effects of fire anywhere. How they’d been burned, she couldn’t guess. He had the same gems on his hands as Nesta’s Cassian, and the same dark hair.

“Why are you chasing me?” she replied haughtily. It didn’t take a genius to guess Nesta didn’t speak to people politely.

_This is Azriel, he’s nice enough. Bit bland if you ask me._

“Because you sent out the distress signal to say there was an intruder in the house. And since when do you do,” he waved a hand at the path Aelin had just blazed, “all that.”

“Since when do you ask so many questions? What are you, a spy?” Aelin snorted. She was trying to match the exclusively bitchy tone she’d gotten from Nesta – it seemed to be the only way the woman communicated.

Azriel gave her a funny look. “Have you been drinking?” he asked.

Nesta gasped.

_How dare he ask that! He had no right, none! I demand you yell at him._

“I will do no such thing,” Aelin laughed.

She didn’t realize she had replied out loud until Azriel said slowly, “You mean you _have done_ no such thing?”

Aelin thought it best if she stay silent and let him speak. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t speak to Nesta. _Are you an alcoholic?_

“Nesta, why did you raid your weapons supply?” he probed.

She looked away, and that’s when she noticed the darkness that swarmed him like he was the eye in the middle of a storm.

Time to run. Aelin sprinted to edge of the building and leaped onto the next. It was much lower, and her knees clanged on impact. She grunted, shook it off and ran again, leaping and jumping until she was on the path she said she wouldn’t take. This was a good body, but it wasn’t as fast as her own nor as in shape, and her lungs burned with the effort. She heard the winged male flying above her, shouting her name as she ran.

She could sense when he swooped down, but she was unable to stop him when he flew low to the ground and grabbed at her leg, holding her by the ankle as he swept them up in the air.

Aelin screamed and pulled a knife from her belt. She flung it at him, and it rang true. It stabbed into his shoulder, and he dropped her. She fell with a _thwack_ onto her back, and the breath was robbed from her. Azriel landed away from her, prowling over to her as he ripped the knife from his shoulder. He looked furious.

She got to her feet, steadying herself in a fighting stance. She had no chance of outrunning him with those wings. Her only chance was to get him down long enough to run into the forest and hope it was dense enough that flying would be useless.

 _Don’t you have any snide remarks to make_? she asked Nesta as she prepared herself.

_You won’t beat him._

Nesta paused.

_But he saw something was wrong and immediately assumed I was on a bender. So beat the shit out of him while you can._

Aelin grinned. _Can do._

She unsheathed the lovely jian sword and met Azriel halfway.

He met her blow for blow, and she was staggered by his skill. Every punch she threw, every kick she tried to land, every swing of her sword, he parried and out smarted her. He was on the offensive, and she let him be. She wanted him to think he was in control, but she was driving them down an alley, not to corner him, but to get to the forest’s edge. Her fighting was restrained and purposeful, and she took pride whenever she got through his defences. There was one very satisfying smack across his face, and she wondered if she should worry about the copious amounts of blood spilling from his shoulder. He wasn’t fighting as though he was injured, but Rowan had done the same in the past and it had been dire.

Looking at the wound reminded her of the arrow Rowan had taken for her all those months ago, and it was enough of a distraction that Azriel was able to land a blow to her stomach, making her bend over involuntarily.

And then she saw it, attached to his hip, his hand resting on it like he might actually use it.

A whip.

He clearly knew Nesta, was familiar enough with her that he felt no guilt in accusing her of drinking, but would he still use that on her? Just the sight of it made Aelin cringe, her back twitching from the memory of what it felt like to have the leather slashed across her.

Aelin screamed a battle cry, launching herself at him with a new fervour. He did not expect it, and he fell prey to her assault. She was using nothing but her fists, the lovely sword abandoned, and she drove him bloody and bruised to the woodland edge.

She knocked him onto his back and stood over him, her teeth in a snarl. He looked at her, one eye swollen shut, the other wide and glassy. She was going to do it, was going to land a blow that wouldn’t kill him but would knock him out long enough for her to run, when she felt a dark force grip her.

She looked down to see a darkness wrapped around her, a different one to those that plagued Azriel. For a split second, she froze, thinking Erawan had finally come to claim her life.

_Don’t fight it, you can’t._

Aelin shook as she turned her head, trying to squirm out of her restraints. But she could feel that this was magic. And although at face value it looked like the darkness of a valg prince, this magic was warm, and it didn’t rip at her mind and memories. Well, Nesta’s mind and memories that Aelin was interfering with.

She looked into the face of Azriel’s defender and gasped.

It was him. The male that slowed her, that caused her to crash into this plain of existence.

Aelin didn’t even feel it as he knocked her out.

_____

 

When she woke up, she heard voices arguing.

She recognized one, it was Cassian’s, but the others were a mystery.

“I don’t know what happened. Even if I wanted to, there’s a block on her mind that I’ve never seen before. It’s like she’s too full, and I can’t squeeze in,” a raspy voice said. A man.

“Tell me again, exactly what happened yesterday.” A woman. Voice fraught, full of concern and love.

“We woke up, had breakfast as usual then I left. She said she was going to read in the garden. When I came back, I knew something was wrong because she’d left her book outside, just discarded on the ground. When I saw her she didn’t seem like herself, and then she gave me the signal. I came here as fast as I could, and she was gone when we searched the house. Her clothes were strewn everywhere, our emergency gold was gone.” Cassian.

“And there were no bottles-”

“I told you, Feyre! She hadn’t been drinking. She hasn’t had a drink in years.”

“Then what the hell was she doing? Sneaking away like that, attacking Azriel?” The woman, Feyre, said. She was the one who had flowers, supposedly. “And where did she learn to fight like that? You’re training is brilliant of course Cassian but that was something we’ve never seen before.”

“Maybe she was – maybe she was trying to leave me.” His voiced cracked, and Aelin heard him suck in air through his teeth. “And I caught her, and she said whatever she could to soften the blow or to just get me away.”

“I don’t think that’s it, Cassian,” Feyre said softly. “She wasn’t trying to leave you.”

_GET UP. NOW. AND YOU TELL THEM THE TRUTH. TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE BECAUSE I CANNOT LET HIM THINK FOR ONE SECOND THAT I WOULD LEAVE HIM. TELL THEM. TELL THEM NOW._

Aelin rolled over.

She was on a bed and in pyjamas. They must have changed her. The trio noticed her movement and locked eyes on her instantly, and Aelin was taken aback again at the sight of the winged male that caused this complete and utter mess.

He was beautiful, perhaps one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen. Eyes so blue they were nearly violet, tanned skin, thick, dark hair that he had pushed back from his forehead. He was looking at her intensely, and Aelin could name very few people who had given her that look. And although it was striking, it was also one of fury.

Cassian choked at the sight of her and rushed to her side. He went to envelop her, but she stopped him with a hand to his chest.

His face fell, and he flinched back instantly.

 _Who is in the room right now?_ Aelin asked Nesta.

_Cassian you know. Feyre is my sister and also thirty weeks pregnant. Try not to cause her any more stress if you are able to do so. Might be hard, considering your insolence. The posh one is Rhysand. He’s the High Lord, what you would call a King. It was his power that took us last night. Oh, and Azriel and Cassian are his brothers. So good luck with that._

“Nesta, I was worried. Elain is on her way from the Day Court as we speak.” Feyre approached her slowly. She had the same hair as Nesta, but her features weren’t so hard and angular.

_Elain is our other sister. She doesn’t live here. Hasn’t since I – she just doesn’t live here anymore._

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you Cassian. Nor was I running away from you,” Aelin said aloud. She sat up, pulling the blankets to better cover her chest. She felt exposed under their gazes, and it didn’t take a fae to be able to sense the extraordinary amount of power in the room. Aelin wondered if that’s how people felt when they were around her.

“It’s okay if you were. I would understand.”

_Tell him he’s perfect._

“No, you’re perfect.”

Aelin took a deep breath and weighed her options. If she tried to flee again as Nesta and find this book, they would follow her. If she told them the truth, they would find their own methods to expel her, but her life would be forfeit.

 _They’ll kill me_ , she told Nesta.

_It’s not unlikely._

“But I have to go, for a while. I’ll be back.”

“What?” Feyre blubbered. “You can’t just – just scare us shitless, attack Azriel, and then tell us you’re leaving. Mor evacuated the city yesterday on your call. Amren sealed the boarders, we sent the children to Helion and Lucien, because you said there was an intruder in the court. Where are you even going?”

Aelin pursed her lips. “I’m not at liberty to discuss that information.”

Feyre gaped. “You’re not at liberty to – are you kidding right now? You have pulled a lot of shit in your time Nesta but this? I think there’s something serious going on, and for whatever reason you can’t tell us, but don’t sit there and lie to my face. Not after everything we’ve been through.”

_Seems like you have your own story to tell._

_Oh shut up. I’m not the one with the nick name Fire Breathing Bitch Queen._

Before Aelin could open to mouth to defend herself – more like lie – the door opened slightly, and Azriel popped his head in.

He was looking much better for wear, and his eye was no longer swollen shut, and blood no longer covered his body. His arm was in a sling, and he wore simple clothes: loose, velvet pants and a black flannel shirt to match. Aelin slid her gaze over him and raised an eyebrow at what she saw. He was studying her just as closely, but there was no resentment in his features. Either he was an expert at feigning nonchalance, or he didn’t care for what she had done to him.

Aelin sat up, brushing the blankets away from herself. She was wearing a nightgown that was long but low cut, and she wouldn’t have been embarrassed even if it were her own body.

“You look better for wear,” Azriel said slowly.

“I could say the same for you.”

“Being stabbed doesn’t suit many people,” Rhys said. Aelin turned to look at him, and although this beautiful man seemed to be one of masks, not even he could hide his anger.

_One could say Rhys and I have a strained relationship._

Why didn’t that surprise Aelin?

“Don’t say such deprecating things. I’m sure you’d look lovely with a blade in you,” Aelin said before she could help it.

“Nesta! What has gotten into you!” The pregnant fae stepped forward, one hand clutching her stomach and the other reaching for Aelin as if she might rip her hair out. Her concern was palpable though, and Aelin sympathised with the woman.

_I told you not to antagonise her. Are you always this bad at following instructions?_

She looked back to Azriel. Although only at the door, the room seemed to gravitate towards him. Nesta told her that Rhys was their king, but Aelin wondered if Azriel secretly ran this kingdom. She addressed him as such.

“If I leave, are you going to hunt me again?”

“I never hunted you to begin with.”

“You could have fooled me.”

Azriel let out a low laugh, the darkness – shadows, Aelin realised, they were shadows – surrounding him weaved around his ears, as if whispering secrets to him.

“On that note.” Aelin swung her legs over the bed and stood, smoothing down the ankle length nightgown she wore. “I have to go.”

“Where are you going?” Cassian stepped forward and held her arm, not to stop her, but in a gentlemanly sort of manner. As if he might take her on a walk through the garden while courting her.

“I have to find something.” Her breath was short, and her heart fluttered at the feel of his hands on her. Her stomach dropped at the sight of his sadness, and she felt a longing ache to reach out her fingers to run them down his cheek. Aelin controlled this body, but it still reacted to everything Nesta was feeling.

“I’ll come with you. What are we looking for?”

She blinked hard. Rutting hell, she could drown in those eyes. He was so gentle she felt like she could be a brittle leaf in autumn having just fallen from a tree and he still wouldn’t break her.

_First of all, wipe the drool from your mouth. Secondly, my mate is the one of the most renowned generals in Prythian. His ferocity and skill are unmatched, even by the High Lord. Thirdly, if you fuck him I will kill you, even if I go down in the process._

_Oh stop! I would never. There’s only one male I’m interested in, and as I’m constantly reminded, he’s very far away,_ Aelin snapped back.  

She yanked her arm away from Cassian, her ogling over. Cassian looked stung, but she didn’t care. She was letting herself get distracted in the dramas of another kingdom, and it had to stop. She just needed that damn book, and she could let Nesta free and get the hell out of here.

“I’m leaving.” She strode of, hopeful but not confident that they wouldn’t follow her. Her ribs ached as she moved, but it was manageable.

Nesta directed her to the outside of the house. She was in another manor, this one even larger and far more opulent. It might even be an understatement to call it a manor, it was more of a palace. She grabbed a random coat from a rack by the door and found shoes that fit well enough next to the stairs.

“Okay Nesta, where to?” she whispered as she hurried away.

_The library. The women there might give you answers. But choose wisely how many people you tell, the High Lord has eyes everywhere. And the last thing he wants is that book in the wrong set of hands._

“Are your hands the wrong ones?”

_To Rhysand – yes._

“You know, I’m not one to judge dysfunctional relationships, but isn’t he your sister’s husband and your mate’s brother? How can you two detest each other on such a level.”

_That’s not a story you need to know._

“Fair enough.”

Aelin ran. She did not see the shadows that slithered after her.


End file.
